Tennessee power forward Jaylen Carey is “probable” for the Vols matchup against Georgia according to the SEC Availability Report. Carey mildly hyperextended his left knee during Tennessee basketball’s 78-73 win over Alabama on Saturday night.
Carey was making a post move when he suffered the injury and was on the ground for nine seconds before the game’s next stoppage and Tennessee’s medical team helped him off the court. The junior power forward quickly went to the tunnel and did not return to the game.
“I think he might have hyper-extended it,” Tennessee head coach Barnes said following the game. “They told me he was in the back running in case we needed him, but I think that’s what it was. He planted it pretty hard. Pretty good collision right there.”
Further testing after the game turned out to be positive and Carey is in line to return to the court against Georgia if he doesn’t suffer any more setbacks.
“He’s never been really one known to get hurt,” Tennessee assistant coach Amorrow Morgan said Tuesday. “This is his first time ever being out for an actual physical injury. So this is new for him as well. We were kind of optimistic just because of his build. But sometimes you just never know with those things. But we are super fired up and happy that he is okay and that he’s not going to have to miss a lot of time”
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The Vols will be down one rotational player against Georgia as Troy Henderson is out for the second straight game with a left shoulder injury he suffered in practice.
Carey has started two games but mostly come off the bench for Tennessee this season. The junior entered the game averaging 9.2 points and a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. Before exiting with the injury, Carey totaled two points on one field goal attempt and five rebounds.
The 6-foot-8, 267-pound junior is the muscle in Tennessee’s front court and has, at times, been its best big man this season.
Tennessee has an abundance of depth in the front court but that has been tested this season. Junior Cade Phillips is out for the year after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in December. If Carey ends up missing the Georgia game, that leaves Felix Okpara, JP Estrella and DeWayne Brown as Tennessee’s front line.
Estrella started for the first time in his career against Alabama, totaling six points and five rebounds. Brown has started for much of the year but come off the bench the last two games.
The Vols are back in action Wesnesday when they travel to Athens to face No. 21 Georgia. Tipoff from Stegeman Coliseum is at 7 p.m. ET. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
